


Still Painting You

by yvonnereid



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Angst, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-16
Packaged: 2017-12-11 21:02:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/803239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yvonnereid/pseuds/yvonnereid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Justin moves to the south of France to live after his partner dies in an explosion at a gas station. His paintings are a success and he’s quite successful after a year.<br/>Someone that fits the description of Brian pays the price in full of €2000 for his ‘Love Lost’ piece, and Justin thinks nothing of it. Then Justin gets a phone call asking for a painting of a ‘Naked Guy’, which he paints Brian onto. After the ‘Naked Guy’ painting is passed onto its owner, Justin gets kidnapped – But by who?</p><p>Beta: Judy ( bigj52 on Livejournal) Thank you so much Judy for taking the time to proof read this for me,you have no idea how much I appreciate that <3 <3</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Still Painting You

**Author's Note:**

> This story is now complete

***  
At the cremation, everyone had tears in their eyes. Some more than others

 

Everyone, including his partner, would miss Brian Kinney.

 

Authorities told Justin that the body was badly charred, and unrecognisable. So the coffin lid was closed at the wake and cremation. The last time anyone saw Brian, he was very much alive.

 

That was a week ago.

 

The authorities had told them all that their friend, partner and son had been caught up in an explosion at a gas station, a mile before New York. He had lost his life along with eight others that day.

 

After the cremation, everyone went back to Brian and Justin’s loft. Sadness overflowed everywhere you looked. No one could believe what had happened.

 

“I just wish there was something I could do,” Jennifer said to Debbie that evening. “I know he just needs a bit of space right now, but I hate feeling helpless.” Debbie stroked Jen’s hand. “I honestly don’t know what to tell you, except give him time. This is hard on all of us. Michael and Justin the most.” Jennifer sniffed back more tears. “How’s Michael holding up? I haven’t really had a chance to talk with him today yet.”

 

“He’s not taking it well at all. They’ve been best friends since they were fourteen, and Brian was always Michael’s hero. He was always a hero to them both, I guess.”

 

Meanwhile in the master bedroom, Justin was laying on the bed, tears flooding down his pale face, wishing to God that this hadn’t happened. That Brian would walk through the door any minute, and it was all just a bad dream. But deep down he knew that wasn’t the case, because Brian was never coming back.

 

Everywhere he looked, he saw his partner, lover and best friend. Could he really continue living here, he wondered? It was very unlikely.

 

Why did this have to fucking happen? Why? Why, Brian?

 

Justin curled himself into a ball on the empty big bed, and cried until he fell asleep.

 

Wondering why his love was taken from him, and how he would survive the rest of his life alone.

 

Five Years Later

 

The south of France was a place Justin never dreamed his art would take him. Since Brian’s death, the blond decided to do something with his life, and make Brian proud.

 

 

An art critic, after evaluating Justin’s art, had showed the blond’s work to many of his friends in the art world and Justin became quite successful in less than a year.

 

“I have a buyer for your ‘Love Lost’ piece,” said Ryan, the owner of the gallery where Justin’s latest pieces had been sold. “He paid the full €2000 euros up front at the desk. Nancy was beside herself when he wrote her the cheque; she said he was the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on. Tall, slim build, auburn hair and tanned face and arms.” Upon hearing the description, Justin thought immediately of someone else who matched that description – someone who was no longer alive. “That’s great news, Ryan. I didn’t want to give that piece away in the first place, but looking at it just reminded me of what I had.” Justin looked down at his hands, and rubbed them together before continuing, “Of what I lost,” very sadly. 

 

Ryan was well aware of what Justin’s life was like before he came to live in France. He also knew all about the love that he had lost. He was never allowed to say the name due to a request made by Justin, but Ryan knew everything.

 

Ryan sat next to Justin, and took one of his hands into his own. “I know. I’m sorry, Jus. I wish there was something could I do, but I know there isn’t. Just please know I am here anytime you need a friend. Ok?”

 

Justin looked up into his friend’s eyes, and replied, “Thanks, Ryan. I’m going to head on home. I still have to finish the next piece I am working on. I got a strange phone call here last week from someone asking for a painting of a naked guy, and get this - he’s going to pay €5000. I have most of it done; I just have to paint the face on it. That’s the hard part.” Ryan sighed, knowing exactly why that was the hard part. “I know it will look beyond amazing when it’s completed,” he offered.

 

When Justin arrived back at his studio that evening, he noticed that a few things he left in certain places were moved. He slowly looked around the room before looking back at the objects. Then he thought that perhaps because he was tired, he had just left them there himself when he last used them.

 

Looking at the painting he had yet to paint a face on, he decided to leave it for now, and go to ‘Le Moulin’ for some dinner. Taking one last look at the ‘Painting with no face’ and thinking to himself he would fill it later with Brian’s, he turned on his heels and headed out the door.

 

‘Le Moulin’ was often quiet on a Tuesday evening, so getting a free table without having to book was not a problem. Justin sat by the window, and was glancing out when a waiter came to take his order. “Bonsoir monsieur, puis-je prendre votre commande s'il vous plaît? asked the waiter, giving him a good eye fuck while waiting for a reply. Justin knew what he wanted right away, and asked the waiter to bring him that.

 

Justin’s eyes roamed the room, seeing who was about when they stopped on someone. Someone he couldn’t believe he could be seeing. Blinking his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things, he slowly got up from his chair to where the lone man sat. "Brian?” he asked, before gripping onto the table to steady his legs. “Justin?” replied the auburn-haired man, after he looked up in surprise.

 

The blond, no longer able to maintain his grip on the table, fell to the floor having passed out from shock at whom he saw. Or whom he thought he saw?

 

TBC…

 

According to ‘Google’ translate ‘Bonsoir monsieur, puis-je prendre votre commande s'il vous plaît? Is French for ‘Good evening sir, may I take your order please?’


	2. Still Painting You

***

 

When Justin opened his eyes, he knew right away that he had fainted when he saw a few people beside him. Looking to his left, he saw his friend, Ryan, who was holding his hand. Slowly getting up with help, Justin sat in one of the booths. “Where’s Brian?” he asked, looking around, remembering having seen him.

 

There were only two people present in the seating area. Ryan, another man Justin had never seen before, and himself.

 

“Brian who?” asked Ryan, concerned for his friend. “Brian fucking Kinney, that’s who,” replied the blond, getting irritated. “He was sitting at this table, that’s the last thing I remember before seeing you. I recognised him from my seat and came over here to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. I wasn’t seeing things. He called me by my fucking name. I didn’t imagine that, there’s no fucking way. He was here, I know it. I can still feel him.” Justin began to think maybe he had imagined seeing Brian, that perhaps he was more tired than he thought. Getting to his feet slowly, he asked his friend to drive him home.

 

Once they were home, Ryan made them both some food, and afterwards, coffee.

 

As they both sat in the living room, Justin spoke to his friend about seeing Brian at the restaurant. “I know you think it’s crazy. Fuck! Even I think it’s crazy. I mean, was it his ghost I saw? You know what, fuck that! It wasn’t his ghost. He was surprised to see me. I saw it in his eyes, I know he was. That’s the last thing I remember before finding myself on the ground with you beside me. By the way, what were you doing there?” he asked, before he took a sip of his coffee.

 

Ryan didn’t hesitate with his reply. “Oh, I was driving by and saw you go in. I thought we could maybe eat together. That’s when I saw you on the floor.”

 

Justin got up from his seat, and walked to the window. “And you didn’t see anyone? No one at all walked past you? You’ve seen photos of Brian. He never walked past you?” Ryan got up and walked over to the window to stand beside his friend. “Justin, Brian is dead. So I can’t have seen him, and neither can you have. It’s not possible.”

 

The blond dropped to his knees, gently clutching onto the curtain to support himself. “But what if the dental records were wrong? Or what if they are lying to us? What if…? Ryan pulled his friend into a hug, telling him. “Will you stop with the ‘what ifs’, that’s not going to change anything – or bring him back.” Justin sobbed into his friend’s chest with his arms grasping onto him. “I just miss him so much, Ryan. So fucking much.”

 

***

 

Seven Years Earlier

 

Brian worked at ‘Phil’s Pizza’, the busiest Pizza Parlour on Liberty Avenue.

 

Having said goodnight to his boss, Phil, Brian locked the front door from the inside and resumed his duties.

 

The brunet tidied around the kitchen, and took out the trash. This was only a temporary job, to help a friend who was in need. Brian was, in fact, an advertiser at Ryder Advertising.

 

It was the coldest night of the year and after midnight.

 

He heard a noise from behind the dumpster as he closed the lid. It sounded like a child sobbing.

 

When he walked around the dumpster, he found a blond boy crouched in the corner with his head on his knees, crying.

 

Brian bent down and spoke to him. “Hey, are you ok?” He asked as he gently stroked the boy’s head with his fingers.

 

Justin looked up and saw the man before him.

 

“Go away, please.” Justin didn’t trust anyone. He always had trust issues.

 

His parents found out he was gay, and threw him out of his home not too long ago.

 

If you can’t trust your parents, who the fuck can you trust?

 

Brian tried again. “Hey, its ok. I’m not going to hurt you. Is there someone you would like me to call for you? Are you lost?”

 

The blond fake laughed. “No, I am not fucking lost, I’m homeless. Does that answer your question?”

 

The brunet stood back up again, and asked him, “When did you last eat?”

 

“This morning,” Justin replied. He looked up and saw sincerity in Brian’s eyes.

 

He held out his hand for the boy. “Come inside, I‘ll make you something. It’s warmer than out here, and you look frozen, kid.”

 

“I’m not a kid, I’m seventeen years old,” he replied as he took Brian’s hand, and let him lead him inside the pizza parlour.

 

Once inside, Brian took out the spare food from the oven that he had planned to take back to his apartment with him…and offered it to Justin.

 

“I’m Brian, Brian Kinney. Do you have a name?” he asked as he watched the boy gobble down his food.

 

“Justin Taylor. I’m so fucking hungry. Sorry for eating like a pig, it’s been a while since I ate hot food. It’s mostly just dumpster food, or anything I can find in other places. I can’t thank you enough.” Justin licked his fingers as he spoke.

 

“You’re welcome,” replied the brunet.

 

Brian observed the blond eating, and felt sorry for him. “It’s really freezing out there tonight. It said on the forecast it’s the coldest night of the year. And the snowfall is the heaviest in a decade.”

 

Justin looked up at the brunet. “Look, I appreciate the food. You’re very kind to have given me some. But I don’t need your pity.”

 

Brian frowned. “I wasn’t pitying you.”

 

“Yes, you were. I can hear it in your voice. Oh, poor Justin. He’s homeless on the coldest night of the year. I know. I will take his pathetic ass to where it’s warm and feed him. That’ll be my good deed for the day. Well, fuck you. I don’t need your help. I’m out of here.” Justin stood up and headed to the door with Brian hot on his heels.

 

Brian stood in front of him. “You’re being a tad defensive. I wasn’t helping you because I felt sorry for you, or because I was trying to do a good deed. I was helping you because I wanted to. But you know what? If you don’t want my help then leave. It’s fine by me, I won’t stop you.”

 

Brian walked away from the door to the table to clear up the mess. Justin looked over at Brian, and believed that he was serious about ‘not caring’ and he left.

 

Brian felt the tears burn his eyes. He felt bad for the boy. He knew it must be hard for a guy who was seventeen and homeless, to think that the whole world was against him.

 

Brian was nineteen when his father found out he was gay, and kicked him out of the house. That was nine years ago.

 

His father hated him. He didn’t exist anymore in his father’s eyes, though he never existed much in his father’s eyes anyway unless he needed a punching bag.

 

And his mother was like his father’s lap dog, so he ceased to exist any longer in her eyes from that day on as well.

 

He had a feeling that the blond’s story might be the same.

 

After he finished up cleaning the area that seated him and Justin, Brian left through the back door and locked up.

 

The snow was really heavy.

 

“Fifty for a blowjob and one hundred for a fuck,” was what he heard as he approached his jeep. When he was inside, he looked over to a streetlight and saw the homeless blond under it, bent over a red BMW, talking to its driver.

 

“Come on, that’s a great deal. And my ass is tight. No…come back!” the blond yelled as the driver took off.

 

Justin sat on the curb, wrapping his arms around his legs that he held up to his chest, and put his head on his knees.

 

Brian thought he would try and help the boy again. He drove up to him and pulled down the window. “Get in.” Justin looked up and smiled, recognising who it was. “Fifty for a blowjob and one hundred for a fuck.”

 

Brian smirked. “Yeah. I heard you the first time. Get in.”

 

Justin quickly ran around the jeep and got in. “The heat in here feels good. It’s fucking freezing out there. It’s getting colder too. My balls feel like ice.”

 

The blond looked over at Brian as he took off and drove through ‘Liberty Avenue’.

 

He thought about what he said to the man earlier. “Look, I’m sorry about what I said to you. You were just being nice to me.”

 

As they pulled up to traffic lights, Brian looked at the blond’s remorseful face “Don’t sweat it.” Justin smiled at him.

 

Ten minutes later when they reached Brian’s loft and went inside, Brian switched on the lights.

 

“Can I get you a coffee or maybe some tea”? He asked the blond, as he took off his coat and flung it across the back of his leather sofa.

 

“Neither, thanks,” replied the blond as he sat on the sofa. Brian joined him.

 

Justin slowly inched his way closer to the brunet. “So, what do you want to do to me, Mr Kinney”? He asked as he ran a hand up the inside of Brian’s thigh.

 

Brian lifted the blond’s hand off his leg, and placed it on the boy’s lap. “You don’t have to whore yourself out to me. That’s not why I brought you here.”

 

Justin sat back. “So why did you bring me here? Because you feel sorry for me?” He asked in an angry tone, standing up.

 

Brian also stood up.“I already told you. I don’t fucking feel sorry for you.”

 

“So why am I here? I mean, if you fuck me, you can pay me. That will help me.”

 

Brian could see the fear in the blond’s eyes. “Have you even fucked anyone before? I have. A lot actually. And I can tell you have little, to no experience. So if you are still a virgin, why do this”?

 

Justin looked up from the ground. “Because it will pay for food to keep me alive. It will pay for clothes to keep me warm. It will put a fucking roof over my head when I get enough money from doing it! Why do you even care? You just met me. I’m no-one.” Justin sat back down on the sofa. “I’m nothing,” he muttered.

 

Brian looked at the beautiful blond boy beside him, and his heart sank. He got up and went into the closet were he kept his bed linen, and brought out a few of the warmest blankets he had. He went back over to the blond who sat on his sofa, feeling helpless and unloved and placed them beside him.

 

“Here, wrap these around yourself and get some sleep. It’s not an uncomfortable sofa to sleep on. I will turn the heating up. You have a warm place to stay tonight. Tomorrow, we will figure out what to do next. Get some sleep, Justin. You look exhausted.”

 

Justin smiled at the gesture, and took the offered blankets and sofa for the night. Brian was right. He really was exhausted.

 

It didn’t take the blond long to get pulled into dreamland, once he got settled into the sofa after the heating had been turned up a notch or two.

 

As for Brian, he didn’t get much sleep at all.

 

At around 5 am, Brian felt the bed dip at the side, and Justin getting in.

 

With his eyes still closed, the brunet turned himself onto his side, so he faced the teen. Justin looked closely at the man who lay next to him and wondered where this would all lead. He didn’t sense danger of any kind from this person, and thought to himself that perhaps this man could help him.

 

“Don’t overthink, this early in the morning. Get some sleep, Justin. Everything will be ok,” Brian said without opening his eyes as he moved closer to the blond and wrapped his arm around him, pulling him in tighter to his warm body. Justin smiled before closing his eyes and letting sleep claim him.

 

The next morning (or a few hours later) Justin awoke to the smell of bacon, something he hadn’t had happen to him for a while. It had also been a while since he had woken up in a warm bed, so he was very reluctant to get up.

 

“Good morning, sunshine. Did you sleep ok?” asked Brian, as he was pouring his coffee. “I made you some bacon sandwiches, I’m sure you must be hungry. There’s coffee too,” continued Brian.

 

“I have an hour before I have to leave for work, so we can have a chat.” The brunet

told him as Justin made his way over to the stools to take a seat.

“Look, I can help you if you let me, Justin. I work at Ryder Advertising and was only filling in for Phil, until he finds someone to replace the jackass who left him in the lurch right before the holidays. So you can have that job if you want it. The pay is not bad and you can stay here until you get a place of your own.”

 

Justin couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This guy only met him last night. Why was he being so helpful?

 

“I don’t understand. Why are you doing this, really? I mean, spending the night here, and sleeping in your bed was great and all, but what’s the real reason behind it?” Justin asked, waiting for an honest answer.

 

Brian sat on the stool next to him. “Maybe I like you” replied the brunet, before kissing him.

 

And that’s how Justin met Brian Kinney.

 

 

Present Day

 

After a lot of comforting in the form of a few hugs and words, Justin told his friend to go home - that he would be ok. When he was alone, he decided to paint a face onto his painting.

 

He had done a sketch of Brian, lying naked on their bed, and decided to paint that onto a canvas and put a different face on it. But he couldn’t do that. Not now. Not when his emotions were yet again raw because of his loss. So he painted Brian’s face onto it.

 

Some time later he stepped back and looked at the finished painting, and thought to himself he knew exactly what Brian would say about the likeness. He smiled as he heard a faint whisper of Brian’s voice echo along with his, as he said out loud, “Hot!”

 

After taking a shower, Justin got into his bed. Before he fell asleep he said, “I know that was you I saw at Le Moulin today, Brian. I know in my heart I didn’t imagine any of that. You’re out there somewhere, and I’m going to find you.”

 

The next few weeks, Justin got the ‘Naked Guy’ painting sealed up and sent off to the address given to him by the anonymous caller, who requested the painting via phone.

 

Before sending off the painting, Justin took several photos of it, and put them into his photo album along with other photos of his paintings.

 

As Justin sat on the sofa, tying the laces on his sneakers, he heard a knock on his door.

 

He couldn’t imagine who it would be, given it was a Sunday and no one ever came to see him on this day.

 

When he opened the door, no one was there. But when he went to close it, he noticed an envelope taped to it with his name written on it. He looked down the hallway, and saw no one was there before he peeled the envelope off, and took it inside.

 

The handwriting on the envelope was unfamiliar to him, which he thought as he opened it. There was a note, which said…

 

‘Dear Justin,

 

The painting you did for me was exquisite; I think you really outdid yourself. I follow all your paintings and have done for a few years now.

 

I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to do that painting, and the guy you put in it is a beauty like no other I have ever seen, apart from yourself, of course.

 

Please take care of yourself, Jim Vito Corleone.

 

Along with the note was a check for €5000 “I think €5000 [J1] is thankful enough,” muttered Justin as he looked at the name on the check of the check giver. “Jim Vito Corleone... unusual name,” he said, before going into his bedroom, and putting both the note and cheque in his bedroom drawer.

 

Justin decided that since it was a lovely day outside that he would go for a walk, and take in the beautiful sights. That was something he rarely had time to do since moving here.

 

When the warm air hit Justin’s face as he reached outside, he smiled to himself and started walking along. The street was practically empty, except for a few little kids out together.

 

He noticed a black car pull up beside him, but just kept walking. Hearing the car door open and close he decided to speed up his steps a bit.

 

A gloved hand went across his mouth and he felt something on his throat. It all happened very quickly. “Do as I say and you won’t get hurt, I promise. Turn around and get into my car. Come on, move,” the voice told him. Justin shook his head ‘yes,’ turned back and got into this man’s car without a word, as the man lifted his hand off.

 

The man got into the back seat with Justin.

 

“I’m not very rich, but you can have everything I have in my bank account. Please, just don’t hurt me, ok?” asked the blond, feeling very afraid. He took a good look at the man who had just kidnapped him.

 

“I don’t want your money. We don’t want your money, and I already told you, you weren’t going to get hurt. So be a good little blond boy, and zip it.”

 

They drove for what felt like ages then pulled up outside a small hut in the middle of nowhere.

 

Justin took one look at the hut, and turned to his captor. “Oh, I get it. You’re going to tie me up, and keep me in a hut so you can fuck me any time you want. Am I right?” he asked with a sneer. “Well that’s the only way you could ever have me – by force, you evil bastards.”

 

The driver began laughing when Justin’s back-seat passenger replied, “Contrary to what someone else might think of you, you aren’t my type. Or his,” he gestured with his head in the driver’s direction. “We have wives. Now come on. By the way, I’m David, and he’s Don,” David, Justin’s captor told him.

 

Once they were standing at the door of the small hut, David unlocked it with a key.

 

When Justin stepped inside he coughed as a lot of dust from the small black empty room went up his nose.

 

He looked at the room, and remarked, “It’s a small black empty room,” before he coughed again.

 

“Yes, it is up here,” replied David before pulling up a floorboard in the corner. “Down these steps is something very different, I can assure you. Come on.”

 

Don, the driver, who was standing behind Justin, nudged him forward. The blond looked back at Don, and then reluctantly walked down a long staircase behind his captor.

 

The stairway was dimly lit, just enough so you could see all the way to the bottom where a big grey door with a long bar was located.

 

Justin began to feel very afraid now. If these men did something to him down here, he had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

 

“Look, please just take me back. I don’t want to be here,” he pleaded with them both.

 

Don, his captor smiled, looking directly into his eyes for the first time. “When you see who awaits you behind this door, you might feel differently,” he told Justin.

 

After stepping inside the room, Justin couldn’t believe his eyes. There were lights everywhere, and so much beautiful furniture. But after noticing all the beauty in this room, his eyes fell on a painting he knew very well. “It’s the ‘naked guy’ painting, I painted that for a customer called Jim Vito Corleone. Is that who has had me kidnapped?” he asked, looking over at David. But David was already walking into another room. “Your answers are in this room, Justin,” he told him, as he gestured him to go inside with his extended arm.

 

Justin cautiously walked forward, and into the ‘other’ room.

 

Very slowly, Justin walked further inside. He saw a man standing with his back to them both, pouring a drink from a crystal bottle.

 

“That will be all David, thank you,” the very familiar voice said as the man who owned it, turned around now to face them.

 

Justin felt the colour drain from his cheeks as he saw who the man really was. “Brian?” he asked, before almost passing out. This time Brian got to him, and caught him before he hit the ground.

 

“It’s ok, Justin, I got you. Let’s sit you down on the sofa,” said Brian. “I’m sure you have many questions.”

 

Justin took a few deep breaths. “Just one I can think of right now. What the fuck is going on, Brian?”

 

Brian gently stroked the blond’s face. How he missed this. He needed more than anything to kiss and lick every inch of the man he had never stopped loving, or thinking of. And he wanted so badly to fuck him, fast, slow - any fucking way as long as he was inside him.

 

But Justin had questions only he could give answers to. Clearly starting with…what the fuck was going on like he’d requested?

 

“Let me start at the beginning,” Brian said, as he watched Justin with expectant eyes.

 

“As you know, when we met I was working at Ryder Advertising. One night I had stayed over at the firm, and when I was getting into my jeep in the lot, I heard gunshots. On instinct, I guess, I turned in the direction of the sound and saw a guy I later found out was called Keller, a former FBI agent, running to his car.

 

When he left I ran over to where he’d come from, and there was a guy lying on the ground, covered in blood. After checking for a pulse, I realised he was dead so naturally, I called the cops. It turned out that Keller was behind three other murders too. But since I saw the last one, they wanted me to testify and I agreed. The problem is, he’s on the run and word got back to the station in the Pitts that he has a hit out on me. This guy is very dangerous, Justin; they can connect him to other crimes too. Anyway, the authorities came up with faking my death and going into hiding. When we heard about the explosion in that gas station just outside New York, we thought that would be a great out for me especially since Keller knew I was heading to New York that day anyway. No one wants to take any chances until he is found, and that’s why I am here. Once he’s found, I can testify and he will be put away, and then this will all be over, I hope,” Brian explained.

 

“I can’t believe any of this is real, Brian. You should have told me what was happening. I fucking buried you, mourned you. Do you have any fucking idea how that was for me? For all of us? Why the fuck didn’t you at least let me know what was happening?” Justin asked, anger clearly evident in his voice. “Why, Brian, why? I mean, what were you going to do when they caught this guy? Just jump out of the fucking woodwork and say ‘Guess who faked his fucking death’?”

 

Justin got up and walked over to the small heater, with Brian quickly following him.

 

Brian placed his hands on Justin’s shoulders, and the blond slowly turned until they were standing face-to-face. “You have no idea how hard it was, to leave my life with you behind. My son, my friends. All of it. It broke my fucking heart. And when I found out you had moved to this country, and were living fifteen miles from here, I couldn’t believe my luck. I paid a Private Eye to keep an eye on you. You two actually became good friends.”

 

“Ryan?” asked the blond curiously.

 

“Yeah, Ryan,” replied the brunet. “He comes here almost every day, and keeps me well informed on everything.

 

“I have another PI in the Pitts, who does the same. I miss everyone so fucking much. And I’ve missed you so fucking much too, Justin.I saw you many times, like that day you saw me in ‘Le Moulin,’ for instance. When you passed out I threw a €1000 on the table and told the two or three people there to split it, and to tell you that my table was empty when you reached it. Ryan is always near where you are, so I knew you’d be safe. I told him on my way out when he was coming in - to text me right away when you woke.”

 

This was a lot of information for Justin to take in.

 

Laughing a little, Brian said as he stroked this beautiful man’s soft neck, “I really need to kiss you right now. Anymore questions can wait,” and their lips crashed against each other’s in a kiss both of them had hungered too long for. A kiss both of them never thought they would get to share with each other again.

 

Inevitably the kiss led to the hurried removal of clothing, and a very hard fuck across the back of Brian’s sofa, and in other close proximities several times.

 

The want, the need to take as much as they both could from each other was so intense.

 

They managed to get themselves into the next room, where Brian’s bed was, and fell onto it. They were both really tired, and fell asleep holding each other, wondering when they woke up if what had happened had all been just a dream. Were they really back together?

 

TBC…

(Jim is the first name of James Dean character in Rebel without a Cause and Vito Corleone is Marlon Brando’s second name in The Godfather movies)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Ok, this is my first walk down this road. I wanted to write a mystery fic. I think what I have come up with so far is good. We are starting of with Brian’s cremation (please just trust me on this, ok?) so you will be upset at that. But just remember the whole ‘Someone that fits the description of Brian pays the price in full of £2000 for his ‘Love Lost’ piece’ and that should help you through it. This is just a taster really, I’m working hard on the rest and will have the whole lot posted very soon. ( The guy who is playing Ryan,is Nicky Byrne from the Irish boy band - Westlife)
> 
> AN: Thank you to Kiera (kiera81487 on livejournal) for the tiltle 'Still Painting You'
> 
> Here is what Brian's sitting room looks like (where the window's are located it's paintings instead of windows)
> 
> http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy50/galefan101/Brianslivingroom_zpsf4e9a963.jpg
> 
> And this is his bedroom...
> 
> http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy50/galefan101/Briansbed_zps12ddba0a.jpg
> 
> Enjoy, and let me know what you think of each chapter, thanks.


	3. Still Painting You

***

When Justin awoke, it was to the feel of Brian’s warm mouth licking his nipple while his hands gently caressed his stomach.

 

“It wasn’t a dream, was it?” asked Justin, groaning pleasantly, even though he knew the answer. For so long, he had wanted to feel Brian’s mouth on him. To kiss him awake. To kiss him to sleep. To kiss him, when he wanted to be kissed. Any time, anywhere.

 

Brian kissed his way back up the blond’s chest, and put his head beside Justin’s. “No, it’s not a dream, Justin. But I wish the whole fucking damn thing were. How we got to be here in the first place. It was like a nightmare I didn’t think I could wake up from. One gigantic fucking nightmare.”

 

Justin stroked the side of Brian’s face. “It’s over now, Brian. At least the parts where we didn’t have each other, I mean. And the rest will fall into place, once this guy and his henchmen are caught. It’ll all work out, Brian, and I will be here for you. I’ll do everything I can, when you need me.”

 

Brian leaned up and kissed Justin gently on the lips, thankful to have him back in his life again.

 

When he pulled back, he looked deeply into the eyes he had never forgotten. He could see many questions.

 

“Is there anything else you need to know? I can see the wheels turning in your brain,” he told the blond. “Yeah actually, there is one thing that I’m rather curious about. Who thought of the name Jim Vito Corleone?”

 

Brian smiled very broadly.

 

“I thought you knew everything about me, sunshine. Ok, here goes ‘Jim is the first name of the James Dean character in Rebel Without A Cause, and Vito Corleone is Marlon Brando’s second name in The Godfather movies. I put them both together and voila. Smart, huh? Of course I wanted to use ‘Rio’ which is my all-time favourite ‘Brando’ character from his movie, 'One-Eyed Jacks' but I was out-numbered on votes.”

 

Justin laughed at this. “Of course. Why didn’t I think that? It has Brian Kinney written all over it. I should have known.”

 

“You couldn’t have known. You didn’t know I was still alive to begin with,” he explained before pulling Justin closer, and kissing him again.

 

 

Just then there was a voice outside the bedroom.

 

“Brian, we need to talk urgently.”

 

Disengaging himself from Justin, Brian got up from the bed and walked to the door, swiftly pulling it open. “What’s wrong? What’s so urgent?” he asked, knowing that the only reason he saw FBI agent Ryan Morgan was if there was a major problem, or if he had updates on Justin.

 

“Well, I will tell you once you put something on,” Ryan told him, looking embarrassed.

 

Brian walked closer to the agent. “Fuck that. You never come here unless you have to. What’s wrong?” he tried again.

 

“Ok. I got word that Keller is here. I was sent to tell you. But I also want you to know that we are doing everything we can to keep you safe. After all only me, David, Don and now Justin, know that you are at this shelter. So you have nothing to worry about.”

 

Brian sat on the chair, and the other man sat beside him.

 

“So he’s in Toulouse? How the hell did he find out I’m here? I mean, only you know the back story as to why I am here in the first place, right?” asked Brian, feeling concerned.

 

“Yes,” Ryan shot back. “Of course the others know you only by Jim Vito Corleone. They don’t know anything about a Brian Kinney, or why we are protecting you. That’s classified information. No one knows that but me. Everyone else here thinks it’s something else. Look, Brian, I’m taking every step I can to make sure you are safe. We are going find this fucker, and he’s going away for a long time. And whoever he has working for him, too. I promise. You’re safe here, and I’m here if you need me,” the blond agent told him.

 

“Me too,” came Justin’s voice from the bedroom door. Both men looked up and saw Justin, fully clothed now making his way over to Brian with a bathrobe

 

“Here, put this on,” he said, handing the garment to Brian. Brian rolled his eyes before taking the offered garment, standing up, and putting it on.

 

“So let me get this straight,” Justin said as he sat on the chair opposite both men.

 

“The FBI is protecting Brian because he witnessed this Keller guy kill someone? Only you know that he didn’t die in that explosion outside New York? And you are a fucking FBI agent keeping him in this underground house?”

 

“Actually, it’s a nuclear bomb shelter,” Ryan interrupted. I figured it would be the safest place on earth to hide him.”

 

Justin mock laughed. “I’m sure if he didn’t fake his death, you could have stuck him in a fucking monastery somewhere. No one in a million years would have thought to check in one of those places for him. And now this fucker obviously knows he’s here. I’m sure Keller isn’t just over for a vacation!” he all but yelled.

 

“Justin, you have every reason to be concerned, but you have to trust me. As does Brian.”

 

“Trust you?” the blond asked. “You’re a fucking FBI agent. You have been lying to me. Spying on me, just so you can go back and report everything to Brian…”

 

“No! I mean yes, but no it wasn’t like that. I am your friend, and your boss too,” Ryan stood up and sighed, feeling defeated.

 

“Ok, look. When we met I knew who you were, obviously. Brian had shown me some photos of you. He asked me to take care of you. The gallery you work at belongs to my cousin, Shane, who you met a few times. I showed him your work and that is why you sell your art there. Your work, Justin. It has nothing to do with favours or anything to do with Brian. Shane thinks you are really talented. And you have sold a lot of your work, so that must tell you something too.”

 

Justin thought about this for a few seconds, before Ryan interrupted.

 

“Look, the bottom line here is Brian. We both care about him, differently, obviously, but we still both care for his safety, right?” Ryan asked Justin, who was beginning to see the other man had a good point.

 

“Yeah, ok. No, you’re right. I will do anything I have to, to keep him safe. So you have me on board too,” Justin told the agent, and Brian. “After all, I love him. Even though I thought he was dead, I never stopped. I couldn’t stop.”

 

Brian got up from the sofa and went over to where Justin sat and knelt down beside him, pulling him into his arms. “I never stopped loving you either, sunshine,” he whispered to him. Both men looked into each other’s eyes with unshed tears trying not to fall.

 

Ryan got up from the sofa too. “The advice I’m giving you is this, Brian. Don’t leave here at all. For any reason. Justin can stay as long as he likes, there’s plenty of food.. Don’t hesitate to use the alarm if there’s an emergency, although we will have the place watched anyway, but just in case. I’m going to get out of your hair now,” he told them both.

 

As the agent walked to the door, he turned and said to Justin, “Oh, and you can take a few days off from the gallery. Relax. Spend as much time here as you want. Forget the outside world. I will put a good word in to Shane for you,” and with that, Ryan winked sincerely at the blond, and left.

 

Both men who were now alone again, went and sat on the sofa to hold each other. Justin was the first to speak. “I had no idea Ryan was an FBI agent, I thought he was my friend. I trusted him,” he told Brian. “Also, you said he was a PI that you hired.”

 

“I couldn’t tell you he was an agent, Justin, because I wasn’t allowed, and besides, he is your friend,” Brian replied. “The only things he told me about you was your work, and sometimes how you looked. He never betrayed you by telling me anything you might have told him as a friend, I promise you that. You can trust him, Justin.” Justin felt at ease, knowing Brian was telling him the truth.

 

Deciding to let it go, Justin changed the subject. “This place is incredible for a nuclear bomb shelter, isn’t it? It’s so luxurious and homely. I could get used to it here. I remember learning about these places in history. I had no idea they were luxurious though. I guess it’s a good thing they are, if people have to stay here for long periods of time. You know, if they are used for what they were actually made for.”

 

Justin began to laugh.“I’m sure when they were building them, they had no idea they would be making them for people like you, who are being protected by the FBI because a killer is on the loose and trying to kill them. A crazy killer at that,” Justin said, before he looked down to see that Brian was sleeping. The blond kissed Brian’s forehead before he too got comfortable on the spacious sofa, and let sleep claim him as well.

Six Years Earlier

“Look, Brian, you have to trust us. Let us take care of you. We have places where you can go, places where Keller and any men he has on his side, would never dream of looking for you.” Agent Morgan told him.

 

Sarcastically Brian replied, “I’m not staying in any fucking monasteries, so you can forget that,” before taking a drag of his cigarette.

 

Agent Morgan rolled his eyes. He knew about Brian being the stud of Liberty Avenue, the openly gay area in Pittsburgh. And also that the man was very sarcastic when he wanted to be.

 

“Brian, I know you are scared. And you have every right to be. But the place I have in mind for you is not a monastery, so you can relax. It’s somewhere that I have hidden a few others before. You will be fine there and most of all you will be safe, trust me.”

 

Two days later, Brian, along with agent Morgan were standing outside a hut, in what seemed like the middle of nowhere with several big suitcases that belonged to Brian.

 

“The fucking bathroom in my loft back in the Pitts looks bigger than this joint,” Brian snarled. “I’m not fucking staying here.”

 

The agent rolled his eyes. “You’re probably one of those people that never wait to see the beauty within before deciding to walk away. Come on,” he demanded as he unlocked the door and walked inside with a very disgusted-looking Brian following.

 

Once inside, Ryan lifted a floorboard in the far corner and walked down what appeared to be stairs from where Brian stood. “I said, come on,” the other man shouted back to him.

 

Brian walked over and saw the stairs, and took the first two before being instructed to pull the rope with him that would pull the floorboard back down again. The stairway was dimly lit, but enough so Brian could see where he was going.

 

When they got to the grey door at the very bottom, the agent pulled the bar that opened it and led them both inside.

 

“Holy fucking shit!” said Brian once the lights went on. “This place is incredible. Very impressive.”

 

“It’s a nuclear bomb shelter. It has everything you can think of. Big bathroom, fancy bedrooms, huge kitchen. It’s quite a big place, and there’s plenty of food. Generators not far from here, run this place. You’re on government property. You will be safe here. You have an emergency alarm system. I will send two of my closet colleagues, Don and David every couple of days or so, to see if you need anything. Or maybe take you into the nearest town, so you don’t have to be cooped up twenty-four-seven. It isn’t really a town. If you drove through and blinked, you’d miss it. You’ll be fine, Brian, I promise. There is a phone in your bedroom and one in the sitting room, so if you need help just press number one and someone will be here. Don’t use the phone for any reason other than an emergency to call us,” he advised.

 

After Ryan left, Brian took a tour of the place. It certainly looked spacious enough. And the furniture was very luxurious, even to his standards. Brian felt at home in no time.

 

He unpacked his belongings, and placed his bits and bobs where he wanted them. He put the photo of himself along with Justin and Gus, on the mantle above the faux fireplace and put a few things beside it for decoration. He placed his other photos of his ‘family’ around the seating area too. His DVDs went beside the rather large TV with built-in player, which was already there. And his CD’s went next to the CD player that was also there.

 

Brian unpacked his clothes and put them into the closet in the bedroom he chose to take, and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

 

After the shower and a relaxing hand job, which he thoroughly enjoyed, Brian got into the bed and wrapped the duvet around himself. He thought about what was happening, and wondered how things were going to be, given his situation. Would he ever be able to see Justin again? What about his son, Gus? Would he ever see him again? Those were the only two people in his life that meant the most to him, and he was missing them both terribly. Yeah, he missed the gang and God forbid, Debbie – but Justin and his son, he missed the most.

 

Thoughts of Justin went through his mind before he was claimed by sleep.

 

When Brian woke up the next morning, it was ten am. He got up and never bothered dressing, and went to make coffee which he drank while having his cigarette at the table in the kitchen. He was flicking through a magazine when the phone on the counter top rang and went to voice mail. “It’s Ryan. I’m sending Don and David to pick you up and take you to town. Be ready in thirty minutes,” before the line went dead. Brian groaned inwardly, but got dressed and grabbed his shades and wallet.

 

In less than thirty minutes Don and David arrived, and let themselves in. “Oh look, it’s Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. I will let you two figure out who is who. Let’s go. I’m bored out of my fucking mind,” Brian told the two very confused-looking agents.

 

Don wondered if this man had any respect for the people who were keeping him alive.

 

The three men met up with Ryan in a resturant called ‘Le Moulin’ which was a favourite among the locals. “You made it through the night, I see,” greeted the agent, before turning to the two fellow agents and saying, “I hope he wasn’t too hard on you two boys? Brian is well known for getting testy sometimes.” Both Brian and the blond agent laughed as Brian took his seat. The other two men sat at another table, close by.

 

When the waiter came over to their table, Brian told him. “Café pour moi, s’il vous plait,” and Ryan smiled. “It’s good to see you know how to speak French” he told Brian.

 

“Yeah. Although I have no idea how to ask ‘do you want to suck me off’? Do you know how to ask that?” Brian asked, cracking a smile.

 

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” the agent replied before taking a sip of his coffee. “So how was your first night? Did you get settled in ok?” the agent queried.

 

“It was alright. I unpacked, and just went to bed. Thanks for getting me out of there today. I’m glad I don’t have to stay in all day, I probably would have gone crazy,” Brian told the other guy.

 

“Brian, you do need to be very careful, but it’s ok to bring you here. These people are my friends, and they know you as Jim. They think you’re a friend of mine on vacation.”

 

A few hours later, both Brian and the blond agent whom he was starting to get to like better, returned to the shelter. “It wasn’t a bad place, I guess. But it was missing two very important people, my son and Justin,” said Brian as he threw himself onto the sofa.

 

Ryan sat on the sofa beside him. “I know you must miss them both terribly. I can’t imagine what it must feel like for you, or anyone in your situation. We will find this guy, you have my word on that,” he told Brian. “Then this will all be over, and you can go back to your life in Pittsburgh.”

 

Brian looked over at Ryan as he spoke. “Yeah, we’ll see. It could all be over in a week, right?” The agent leaned forward and patted Brian’s thigh with his hand “Yeah, then you can leave and return to your home,” replied Ryan.

 

Just as Ryan was about to pull his hand back Brian grabbed it and placed it on his cock.

 

A little taken back, the agent pulled his hand away quickly. “Brian, what are you doing? I’m not here for your pleasure. I’m here to keep you alive,” he told him.

 

Brian didn’t hold back. “One of the things you should know about me is I always have an aching hard on. I’m going be honest here. I take what I want when I want it. And since there’s only you here right now I want you to take care of it for me. I want you,” he said before pulling the other man in for a kiss.

 

Ryan didn’t object this time, and kissed the brunet back hard.

 

As the kiss became more intense, Brian opened his jeans and pulled out his cock, and began stroking it. Thoughts of another blond came into his head as he did so, and he stopped kissing Ryan. He looked into the other man’s eyes before closing his own and pushing the blond’s head down to his erection. “Suck it,” he demanded in a husky voice.

 

The blond gently lifted Brian’s cock, and brought it to his mouth. He began licking the length before taking it into his mouth and slowly sucking it. As the blond’s head bobbed up and down, Brian still had his eyes closed and was still thinking of Justin. Even though the blowjob was impressive, it wasn’t the same as sunshine’s at all. But a mouth was a mouth as long as it was attached to a hot guy, and Brian really needed to get his needs met right now.

 

Present Day

 

When Justin awoke, Brian was sitting by the faux fireplace watching him. “It’s kind of creepy watching someone while they sleep,” Justin said as he sat up.

 

Brian smiled. “You’ll have to forgive me. I haven’t watched you sleep in a while. You always did look beautiful when you slept, Justin. And you still do,” he continued.

 

Justin ran his fingers through his hair before he sat back and got comfortable on the sofa. “I can’t believe I found you, Brian. You’ve been here this whole time. It feels like I’m in a dream or something. Debbie is going to be so shocked, but really happy. And Michael too, when they both find out you’re still alive. Everyone is.”

 

Brian went over and sat next to the blond, and took his hand into his own. “I’m just glad you’re here, sunshine. You have no idea how much.” Justin wriggled in the seat. “I think my ass has a very good idea,” he told Brian.

 

Brian chuckled, and then asked the blond curiously, “How did you manage to be in Toulouse in the first place? I mean, why not New York? Or Paris even? Why Toulouse?

 

Justin didn’t hesitate with his reply. “Are you serious? There are museums with collections of paintings by many great artists here. I studied at PIFA, I was here for a couple of months to study anyway, with a group of others from my year, and that’s when I met Ryan and decided to stay. He was really impressed with what I had done. I had photos of all my work and showed them to him. He told me he owned a small gallery, and I could sell my stuff there if I wanted. I had no idea what was really happening, and that he knew you, and had you here protecting you. But I’m really glad I stayed.”

 

Brian stroked Justin’s face. “Me too, Justin” he replied, and leaned in to kiss him.

 

At first the kiss was gentle, then it became more intense. Justin’s hands made their way inside Brian’s robe, seeking and finding his nipples. He gently pinched them both, teasing him. Brian grabbed onto the back of the other man’s neck, pulling him in harder than he was before.

 

“I need to feel you inside of me,” rasped Justin, before taking Brian’s robe completely off him.

 

Justin removed his jeans and t-shirt very quickly. “I see you’ve gone commando, I like that,” said Brian, before he stood up to grab the blond. Justin pushed him back down on the sofa and straddled him. He put both their cocks together in his hand, and gently stroked them while his other hand clutched the back of Brian’s neck, bringing him closer so he could kiss him. With their bare cocks touching, while being stroked together it didn’t take long for both men to come.

 

During the next couple of days, not much was done because there was a lot of fucking to make up for, and just general togetherness. But both men were very happy to be back together again.

 

Brian watched as Justin finished dressing himself. “Do you really have to go back today?” he asked. Justin smiled before replying, “Yeah, I do. But I’m just going to pack up some clothes, and run a few errands then I will come back again. I should probably stay home tonight though, now that I think of it. I want to phone Daphne. I haven’t spoken to her in a while, and I should call my mom too,” said the blond. “But I will come back tomorrow. We have stayed away from each other for too long, and we still have so much more time to make up for lost fucks,” said the blond, before putting his coat on. “Besides, I have been here nearly a week. Ryan said only a few days, I think we took advantage of that”

 

Brian stood behind Justin, and wrapped his arms around the other man’s waist. “I can never get enough of you, Justin. I never could.” Justin turned in Brian’s arms until they were face-to-face, and kissed him softly on the lips. “Just hurry back. I have spent long enough without you here.”

 

Don was there about an hour later, to pick the blond up and bring him home. When they arrived back at Justin’s apartment, the agent asked Justin if he could have some water. Justin got two bottles of water from the fridge and handed one to the other man. He opened his own and took a sip and placed his bottle on the counter. Both men sat and chatted for a bit, until the blond excused himself to go to the bathroom. When he got back they resumed chatting. Justin suddenly began to feel very tired. Yawning, he said to the other man, “I’m so sorry, I guess it’s been a long week. I’m really tired.” Don sat closer to him. “It has been a long week for you, and Brian too. What with being reunited and all.”

 

And that’s the last thing Justin remembers.

 

TBC…

 

A/N: According to Google ‘cafe pour moi, s’il vous plait’ means ‘coffee for me, please’ in French.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Ok, this is my first walk down this road. I wanted to write a mystery fic. I think what I have come up with so far is good. We are starting of with Brian’s cremation (please just trust me on this, ok?) so you will be upset at that. But just remember the whole ‘Someone that fits the description of Brian pays the price in full of £2000 for his ‘Love Lost’ piece’ and that should help you through it. This is just a taster really, I’m working hard on the rest and will have the whole lot posted very soon. ( The guy who is playing Ryan,is Nicky Byrne from the Irish boy band - Westlife)
> 
> AN: Thank you to Kiera (kiera81487 from Livejournal) for the tiltle 'Still Painting You'
> 
> Here is what Brian's sitting room looks like (where the window's are located it's paintings instead of windows)
> 
> http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy50/galefan101/Brianslivingroom_zpsf4e9a963.jpg
> 
> And this is his bedroom...
> 
> http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy50/galefan101/Briansbed_zps12ddba0a.jpg
> 
> Enjoy, and let me know what you think of each chapter, thanks.


	4. Still Painting You

***

 

When Justin awoke, he was sitting in a wooden chair with his legs tied to the legs of it, and his hands tied behind his back and onto the chair as well.

 

His surroundings very unfamiliar.

“You’re awake, I thought we had lost you there,” said the man who stood in front of Justin. “You’ve been asleep for a few hours now. You must have been tired,” he implied.

The blond tried to struggle free, but couldn’t.

“Who the fuck are you, and what do you want with me?” he asked.

“Who I am, is none of your fucking business. What I want with you is to keep you here, where Kinney can’t find you. I want to make him suffer for a while,” the dark-haired stranger told Justin.

“I know he didn’t die in that explosion. A dear friend has been keeping me well informed of everything, including where he has been hiding out. My plan will fall perfectly into place and before long. Kinney will wish he had died in that explosion.”

“Keller?” Justin asked, but it wasn’t really a question.

“Fuck you, you sack of shit.”

Keller looked somewhat impressed by the blond’s attitude. “Wow, you’re a feisty little thing. I bet you keep Kinney well on his toes.”

Justin looked away from the dark-haired man, and resumed his struggle to break free.

“You’ll never get away with this. The FBI will find you. You’re already looking at life in prison, or possible execution for the murders you committed.”

Keller thought about this for a minute. “They’re not going to find me. Once I’m finished sending my message to Kinney, I’m leaving here. But I have a feeling that with the message I send to your lover, Kinney he will know exactly who he is fucking with, and then he’ll change his mind about testifying.”

Justin felt his face go cold and asked, “What message are you sending him?”

Keller smiled and walked closer to Justin, while stroking his face. He replied, “One he’ll see in his dreams, for many years to come.”

Meanwhile back at the shelter, Brian was lying across the sofa, smoking a cigarette and thinking of the last week.

Justin had returned to his life again. Well, they had actual contact now. He remembered when he found out Justin was in Toulouse.

Five years earlier

Ryan had arrived very early that morning. “It’s only 06:20 am, what the fuck are you doing here?” asked Brian very groggily, after checking the time on his bedside alarm clock.

“He’s here, Brian. Justin’s here in Toulouse!” The blond agent told Brian, feeling very happy for him. “I saw him a few days ago but I wasn’t too sure it was really him, so I did a full subtle, of course, – interrogation, and it’s definitely him.”

Brian sat up quickly, giving Ryan his undivided attention. “What the fuck are you talking about? He’s here?” he asked. “Here, where, and how? Why, even?” asked Brian, incredulously. “I don’t understand.”

Ryan sat on the side of Brian’s bed. “He’s here with friends studying art. He said there are three or four others here with him from the Pitts, and they took time away from PIFA, which he said is Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts,” Ryan said as he stood up, a plan clearly forming in his head.

“This can work in your favour, Brian. I might just be able to convince him to stay here,” said Ryan, as a smile slowly crept across his face.

Brian sat back against the headboard of his bed, and smiled too. “Your cousin’s art gallery was always a favourite place of mine.”

Ryan looked over at the other man, and threw a pillow in his face. “You’ve never even been inside it,” he told Brian, and they both laughed.

Present Day

Brian decided to have an early night. He showered and jumped into his bed, naked, of course, as was the norm for him. He figured tomorrow his fave blond would be arriving early, and of course more fucking would take place. Well, as much as Sunshine’s ass could handle, that is.

Yep, it was going to be a long day tomorrow. Brian smiled before he fell asleep.

The next day, Brian got up when he heard someone in the sitting room.

When Brian entered the sitting room, the first thing he noticed was Ryan, who was alone. “Where’s Justin? I thought you were bringing him this morning,” he asked Ryan before he sat on the sofa.

Ryan was hesitant with his answer. “We stopped by there, but he wasn’t home. Don said he would drop me off here, and go back and try again.”

Brian noticed the hesitancy in the other man’s reply. “What’s going on? I smell a rat and it fucking stinks. Where the fuck is Justin?” Something felt very wrong in Brian’s gut.

“Calm down, Brian. I don’t know what’s going on. When we arrived at Justin’s apartment, he didn’t answer. So Don used one of his magic skills for opening locked doors to open it, and he let us in. When we got inside the place was empty. It didn’t look like anything out of the ordinary, but his wallet was on top of the counter and he never leaves without that, ever. So I’m concerned about that part, to be honest, but it really could be nothing. I don’t know.”

Brian walked over and put his coat on, “You’re taking me to his apartment, right now!” he told Ryan.

“Brian, have you lost your mind? You could be playing right into a plan Keller has set up. That is, of course, if this has anything to do with why Justin isn’t there in the first place,” the agent told him.

“We need to proceed with caution here. Sit it out and see what comes next.” Just then Ryan’s beeper went off. “I have to get that, be back in a minute,” he said, before he left the room.

Brian fell onto the sofa. What the fuck was going on, and where was Justin?

Back at the place where Justin was, he was trying to plead his release with Keller but it had fallen on deaf ears.

A little while later, Keller sat on the sofa across from the blond. “So, do you like this hotel room?” he asked. “It’s on the ground floor, which is the reason it was easy to get you in here. I had my friend drug your drink when you went to the bathroom. He phoned me while you were there, and asked what he should do next,” laughed Keller, as he told Justin of how he came to be in the seat, tied up in the first place.

“You wouldn’t think this guy was smart at all,” he went on.

“Once he put the sedative into your drink and you fell asleep, he hauled your ass out back and put you into his van, and brought you here. He said it’s a good job you were located on the ground floor, because you aren’t as light to lift as you look.”

Justin tried to reason with his captor, again. “Look, please just let me go. I won’t tell anyone where you are. I promise. Brian is expecting me to come back to him today, and if I don’t he’s going to know it’s to do with you, so I’m begging you.”

Keller just ignored the plea, and carried on talking. “I knew you would fall perfectly into my plan once I found out you were in Toulouse. It’s funny how you came to be here, but I’m glad you are.”

The former FBI agent took a gun out of his coat. “I think I should send that message right now actually,” he told a very scared looking Justin as he held the weapon up and looked at it closely.

“I’m getting bored with this game now.”

Justin closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

TBC…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Ok, this is my first walk down this road. I wanted to write a mystery fic. I think what I have come up with so far is good. We are starting of with Brian’s cremation (please just trust me on this, ok?) so you will be upset at that. But just remember the whole ‘Someone that fits the description of Brian pays the price in full of £2000 for his ‘Love Lost’ piece’ and that should help you through it. This is just a taster really, I’m working hard on the rest and will have the whole lot posted very soon. ( The guy who is playing Ryan,is Nicky Byrne from the Irish boy band - Westlife)
> 
> AN: Thank you to kiera81487 for the tiltle 'Still Painting You'
> 
> Here is what Brian's sitting room looks like (where the window's are located it's paintings instead of windows)
> 
> http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy50/galefan101/Brianslivingroom_zpsf4e9a963.jpg
> 
> And this is his bedroom...
> 
> http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy50/galefan101/Briansbed_zps12ddba0a.jpg
> 
> Enjoy, and let me know what you think of each chapter, thanks.


	5. Chapter 5

***

 

Brian paced the floor as Ryan made his phone call. He had a feeling something very bad was going down, and Justin had been dragged into the middle of it. Brian hated feeling helpless, and that’s how he felt right now.

 

When Ryan returned to the room he was biting his thumbnail with a crestfallen look on his face.

 

Straight away Brian knew something was really wrong.

 

“What the fuck is wrong? What’s happening?” Brian asked him.

 

Ryan sat on the sofa. With a drawn-out sigh, he told Brian, “That was David. He said that he found a note from Keller to Don, at Don’s place last night when he stopped by to pick up a sweater he had left behind. Anyway, he said the note had instructions for Justin’s kidnapping.” Ryan looked down at the floor, before continuing, “Don has been playing us all along.”

 

Brian froze. “Where the fuck is Justin? Where did they take him?” asked the brunet in alarm. “If that bastard does anything to hurt him, I will serve fucking time in prison I swear to God!” Brian yelled.

 

“According to David, he said Justin should be at 84, allées Jean Jaurès. It’s a hotel not too far away from Justin’s apartment. Brian, I know what you’re thinking, but you have to let us handle this.”

 

“Fuck that,” snarled the brunet. “I’m coming with you. If you want to try and stop me, shoot me.”

 

Ryan knew how stubborn Brian could be, and with little to no time left to get things under way, he decided Brian could have his way. “Ok, but you stay in the fucking car. Do you hear me, Brian?” he warned.

 

“Yeah, I hear you. Let’s go,” said Brian as he grabbed his coat.

 

On the drive, Ryan hardly spoke, unless it was on his cell to the police until they were about half an hour outside the grounds of the bunker.

 

“Don was my best friend. He and I joined the force together. We always said we would put the bad guys away when we were kids. Our favourite game was cops and robbers. Don always liked to be the robber.” Ryan gave a small laugh before continuing. “The guys on the force laughed at us a lot, especially when we first joined the FBI. They would call us ‘The dynamic duo.’ Yeah, that was us,” Ryan sniffed back tears because he never in a thousand years would have believed his best friend would have betrayed him.

 

“I was best man at his wedding, too.” Ryan went on.

 

Brian felt bad for the man, he really did. But he was too worried about what might happen to Justin, so he kept quiet.

 

Word came over the radio that a team of men were located at all the entrances and exits to the hotel, and they were waiting on word from Ryan as to what the next move should be. “No one else is to go inside. I am on my way,” Ryan instructed them.

 

As Ryan’s vehicle pulled up outside the hotel, the place was packed with people. Police, agents and onlookers.

 

“Shit!” said the blond agent. “It’s like a fucking circus out here.”

 

Meanwhile back in the hotel room, Keller was still seated on the sofa in front of Justin, waving his gun in the air, while looking at it.

 

“Tell me, Justin, how close are you to Ryan? He made friends with you very quickly when you first met him, didn’t he? In fact, and this is the part you are never going to believe - after he left you each time he was at your apartment, he went straight to Brian and fucked him without giving you a second thought. Almost every night, anyway. Like you never existed to him. I mean, you told him how much you loved Brian, right? So if he was really your friend would he have done that? Or would he have lied to you about Brian being dead? More importantly, would he have sold Brian out to me?”

 

At that last line, Justin looked up. Keller smirked.

 

“I bet you thought it was Don, didn’t you? You thought that because he took you to your apartment that he was the one to spike your drink?” Through his laughter, Keller said, “Don is the biggest pussy you’ll ever meet. He couldn’t even tell a lie if his life depended on it. No, your betrayer is none other than the infamous Ryan Morgan. Him with his blond hair and blue eyes. To look at him you’d think butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He was perfect for this job, and I knew he’d lead Kinney right to me. This was all set up from the beginning. It wasn’t hard at all to pull Morgan into my way of thinking. They say the Irish are easily swayed, and they’re right. Wave a few dollars under their noses and they’ll do anything.”

 

Justin wasn’t being fooled.

 

“You’re lying. None of what you just said about Ryan is true. Except the part about making me believe Brian was dead, but he had no choice in that. He’s an FBI agent and it’s his job to protect the innocent, and Brian is innocent. And yeah, perhaps they did fuck. Brian and I were apart for five years; of course he fucked other men. So what if it was Ryan he fucked. After what Ryan has done for him, I don’t care. And I’m not as stupid as you think. Ryan no more betrayed me than he did Brian. He’s not the rat in this maze of a sick world you live in. It’s Don. And nothing will convince me otherwise.”

 

Justin struggled again with the restraints. “Fuck, these are tight,” he all but yelled.

 

Outside, Ryan exited the car and Brian followed him very slowly so as not to draw any attention to himself. After all he wasn’t an agent and had no ID that would gain him access to the building, and to Justin.

 

When Ryan was met at the door to go in, he showed his badge to the guys standing there and was given the go ahead. Assuming the other guy was with him, they let Brian pass through as well.

 

As Ryan advanced down the corridor, he felt a chill go down his spine. Slowly rolling his eyes to the side, he quickly took the gun from its holster and turned and faced Brian who very quickly threw his both hands up. “Jesus, it’s just me,” said Brian, looking a little scared.

 

Ryan pushed him against the wall. “I fucking told you to stay in the car. I nearly shot you,” he whispered, just loud enough to be heard by Brian.

 

Brian pushed Ryan back to gain release.

 

“Well, I should thank my lucky stars you didn’t then. What room are they in?” Brian asked as he walked ahead of him.

 

“Hold your horses, Kinney. We can’t just fucking barge in. And you can’t go near the room in any case. Just go back outside and let me do my job,” Ryan suggested, but of course Brian was having none of it.

 

“Fuck that. Justin’s in that room, and I’m going nowhere until he is with me.”

 

As Brian and Ryan approached a corner, several men in uniform met them. Brian guessed they must be the French police, since he heard one of them say the word

‘Gendarme’ when they spoke to Ryan.

 

“Right, the room is at the other side of the building. The police were called in here to block all the entries off, inside as well. I don’t think it’s a good idea if you come any further, Brian. I mean it. Go back and wait in the lobby or go outside and get back in the car, please,” he told Brian.

 

“I told you, no. When I walk out that door, Justin will be walking out of it with me. Or you’ll be guiding me out in handcuffs, that’s if Keller has done anything to hurt him.”

 

Brian meant what he said and Ryan knew that, so he could do nothing but agree. Ryan knew he was putting the other man in great danger by agreeing to this, but he also knew that it wouldn’t be easy to get him out of the building either. And he knew that Justin meant everything to this man.

 

So both men made their way along the hall, and closer to the room that Keller was in with Justin.

 

Back in the room Justin was staring off into space, when the ringing of Keller’s cell interrupted him.

 

“Yeah? Are you serious? Here at the hotel right now? I don’t fucking believe it. I will, thanks.”

 

After hanging up, Keller looked down at his captor.

 

“Well, it seems your hero is in the building. He has left his safe place to find you. But the question is this, Justin, what way will he find you? Will you be alive or dead? Perhaps a little worse for wear? Let me think,” and with that, Keller backhanded the blond, sending him to the floor. Then Keller knelt down beside the blond, and stroked the side of his face.

 

“You know, I didn’t want to hurt you. Not really. You kind of remind me of my son, Gerard. You’re about the same age.”

 

Justin wasn’t sure why he didn’t react to the searing pain on the side of his face, which he was certain would be bruised in minutes. Perhaps it was the shock. But the one thing he did know was that now was not the time to act like some silly little faggot, and give in to this monster.

 

Keller stood up and pulled the chair, which Justin was sitting in, back up on its four legs again. Justin kept his eyes closed.

 

“Ok, so maybe that was uncalled for. But I want Kinney to see that he won’t fuck with me, no pun intended, and get away with it.”

 

At that sentence, Justin opened his eyes.

 

“Brian wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire, pun intended,” he remarked distastefully. 

 

“And you hurt me because you wanted to. It wasn’t to send any message, it was simply you being a dick.”

 

Keller laughed as he grabbed Justin’s face in his hands, and leaned in closer.

 

“You think you have me all figured out, don’t you? You haven’t got a clue. I have done things you wouldn’t even let cross your mind, things you would only see in your nightmares. You fucking remember that before you throw smart remarks at me again, you got that?”

 

Justin wished Brian would hurry up and get to him; he had a feeling things could get worse from here on out.

 

“I guess it won’t be long now until Morgan and Kinney get here. I’m looking forward to watching how this all plays out. Of course, when he sees you I imagine he will try to run over and untie you,” Keller said, as he paced the room.

 

Justin could sense Keller’s fear, “You can end this all now you know. Give yourself up, and it will all be over. I know you are scared. I would be too if I was in your shoes,” said Justin, who was now feeling a tiny bit sorry for the man.

 

Keller pointed the gun to Justin’s head. “You’re right. I could end it all now. I could put a bullet through your head. It makes no difference to me. When they get to that door, they will kick it down and shoot me anyway, so what have I got to lose?”

 

“Your fucking mind for one thing,” said a voice that startled them both.

 

“This is not what was supposed to happen. You were supposed get Kinney in here, and kill him. This blond piece of trash was only supposed to aid Kinney in getting here,” said David, who entered the room from the main door.

 

“What happened to Justin’s face?” asked David.

 

Keller looked from David back to Justin, and replied, “I think he walked into a door,” before he laughed.

 

“Morgan and Kinney are on their way here, I’m just giving you a heads up. Well, I better get back out and wait for them. It won’t look good with me in here talking to you,” he said before he laughed.

 

Keller laughed as well, before he pointed his gun in David’s direction and shot him through the head.

 

Justin jumped and held his breath for a few moments, before releasing it. He didn’t look over to where David was lying. He didn’t have to; he knew the man was dead.

 

Now Justin really was terrified.

 

Just then, Keller went over and closed the door and locked it. He had been expecting David to come into the room and let him know when Morgan was close. The plan had been to let David leave. He was an agent so no one would second-guess him as the man who had been working for Keller.

 

Looking down at David, Keller said, “You might not think this, but I’m actually squeamish when it comes to blood.”

 

Justin sat very still, and stared straight ahead.

 

“I hadn’t actually planned to kill David, you know. He was supposed to leave. It was Don who was supposed to get the blame for aiding me. That smug little bastard is the one who’s supposed to lying there dead, not David.”

 

Just then a voice came from outside the door, “Keller, we know you are in there. Open up.”

 

Justin knew that voice from anywhere. It was Ryan.

 

Keller walked over behind Justin’s chair, and put the gun to the side of his head. “Fuck you, Morgan,” he yelled. “And fuck Kinney too.”

 

“Justin? Are you ok?” asked Brian.

 

“I’m fine,” replied the blond. “But he has a gun to my head.”

 

As the gunshot rang out in Justin’s ears, he felt himself fall to the ground. Then he heard another gunshot, and his eyes closed.

 

Brian ran to where Justin lay on the floor, “Justin, oh my God, Justin.”

 

Justin slowly opened his eyes. “Keller, he…” but Brian cut him off with a kiss on his lips.

 

Ryan was looking at David lying on the floor, when Don arrived. Without thinking, Ryan pushed the other man against the wall, “You were working for him all along, you sack of shit.”

 

Don was stunned by his friend’s words. “Fuck you Morgan. I would never betray my position in the force. I love my job.”

 

After Brian had helped Justin out of the chair, Justin spoke in Don’s defence. “He’s telling the truth. Keller said so himself. David was the one to betray Brian. He betrayed all of us.”

 

Ryan released Don and hugged him. It was plain to see that no words were needed.

 

Brian smiled, and kissed Justin again.

 

“What happened to your face?” he asked after he kissed him again.

 

Justin told Brian about what Keller had done to him, and Brian was happy that the former agent was dead. If he weren’t, he would be for hurting Justin.

 

Soon the room filled with cops and the necessary people. And Brian, Morgan and Justin were allowed to leave.

 

A few hours later back at the shelter, Brian and Justin along with Morgan, talked about everything that happened, and everything that would happen.

 

Brian was now a free man, and he and Justin were going back to Pittsburgh.

 

Ryan couldn’t leave the country right away, but he drove Brian and Justin to the airport.

 

After arriving at the airport, Ryan got out of the car along with Brian and Justin.

 

Once the luggage was out of the trunk Brian walked over to Agent Morgan. “I will never be able to thank you enough for what you did for us. You have no idea how grateful I am to you. Thank you,” he told him. Then Brian leaned down and gently pulled Ryan’s head close to his, and placed a gentle kiss to his lips. He let his unmoving lips linger for a few moments before pulling away, and smiled.

 

Ryan cleared his throat, as Justin looked on. “You are both welcome. Have a safe journey home, and keep in touch.”

 

Brian and Justin smiled in response, and left their friend to head back home.

 

Brian couldn’t wait to be back with his family again, especially his son, Gus.

 

The End


	6. Added By Request From A Reader :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was requested by a reader who felt unhappy at the first ending.
> 
> It was a long road,but we made it back to where Brian belonged. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the whole story and the ending too. I actually cried when I was writing this chapter, enjoy and let me know what you thought of the story - thanks.

***

On the aeroplane once both men were seated, Brian laid his head back and closed his eyes. He thought back over everything that happened, while Justin looked at him.

 

“I can hear the wheels turning in that head of yours again. What are you thinking about?” asked Brian.

 

Justin smiled before he answered, “I observed the way you kissed Ryan before we…”

 

“You want to know if we fucked, right?” Brian asked. He had an idea that this question was coming, and he had an idea it was now.

 

Justin continued looking at Brian. “It’s really none of my business I guess, but I just wondered if what Keller said was true.”

 

Brian opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Justin. “What did Keller tell you?”

 

“He told me that every time Ryan left my place, he went straight to you and you fucked him. Like I said, it’s none of my business. I just wondered if it was true. You don’t have to tell me.”

 

“We did,” Brian told him.

 

“Well, I can’t say I blame you. He’s very hot. I would have fucked him too,” Justin replied.

 

“Ryan’s a great guy. We became great friends over the years, and one evening it just sort of happened, I guess…”

 

“You don’t have to explain, Brian. Like I said, it’s none of my business anyway. I was just curious,” replied Justin who then laughed. “Wow! Brian Kinney explaining himself. What would everybody think?”

 

Brian smiled. “I’m just so happy to be going home. I can’t even take it in that this is happening, you know? I feel like the last few weeks have been a dream. I’m not the same person I was, Justin, and I could care less about fucking labels and that other shit I was obsessed with. That doesn’t define who I am anymore. It’s not important to me.”

 

Justin kissed Brian softly on the lips, and Brian pulled them both closer, relishing it.

 

They didn’t care about what the other passengers thought, or may be whispering about them.

 

When the plane landed, bodyguards and Special Agents who were expecting their arrival, met Brian and Justin in the terminal.

 

“Mr Kinney? We have been expecting you. Can you please come with us?” asked an agent whose badge named him as ‘Agent Darcy Kemp’, which Brian and Justin learned when he showed it to them.

 

“Your luggage will be collected for you both, and sent by courier to Ms Debbie Novotny’s house at the address you provided us with. Now we need to take you to the station with us to clear up some things,” they were told by Agent Kemp.

 

When Brian and Justin arrived at the station, they were taken into a room and told to wait. The drive to get them both there was quite long but they found ways to entertain each other, despite a few odd looks from the other people there.

 

“I wonder what happens next?” asked Justin, while he looked around the room.

 

“It’s probably just so they can give me back my identity. I imagine they will just tell me it’s been restored, and send me on my way,” Brian told Justin.

 

“Not that, Brian. It’s obvious that’s what’s going to happen here. I meant when you get home again. I mean, you’ll have to look for a job and a new place to live. That won’t be easy.”

 

“Nothing in life is ever easy, Sunshine. I will manage, we both will. We’re in this together, right? We can stay at Debbie’s or your mom’s until we get a place. I can’t wait to see Deb’s face when she finds out about all of this, or even Michael’s,” Brian said, screwing his face up before laughing.

 

Justin laughed as well, “Yeah. They have probably informed Debbie already anyway, so it’s just a case now of her telling the others. I told my mom what was going on, but she said she wouldn’t say anything. I made her promise me. I guess she will have heard it from Debbie by now.”

 

Just then Agent Darcy Kemp and another man entered the room with a folder, and gestured for Brian and Justin to take a seat.

 

“Mr Kinney, on behalf of everyone on the force, I would like to thank you for what you did. It was by no means an easy request from us to you. You put your life on hold for a man unworthy of the title given to him by us, and for that we are grateful. Your identity has been restored on our database, and you are recognised as Brian Aiden Kinney once again. Here is your Birth Certificate, Passport and Social Security number. You’re a free man now, Mr Kinney,” said Agent Darcy Kemp.

 

“Oh, and Ms Novotny has been informed about you. We sent policemen from the precinct in her area to give her the news. They said she passed out five times, and the tall slim man that was with her crossed himself more times than they could count. He identified himself as Emmett Honeycutt, her lodger. She told them she would notify your family.” Both Brian and Justin laughed, that sounded typically like Debbie and Emmett.

 

After placing the folder on the table with Brian, both men thanked him again after telling them that a car would take them both home, and left.

 

On the drive to Debbie’s house, Brian felt what he realised were actual butterflies in his tummy. He heard the expression a lot, but it never happened to him, until now.

 

“When we get to Debbie’s I wonder if everyone will be there. You know, all the family?” Brian asked.

 

Justin took Brian’s hand into his own. “Of course they will, probably the whole of Pittsburgh will be. Are you nervous?”

 

“I just can’t wait to see Gus. I bet he’s gotten so big now. He probably won’t remember me,” Brian said as he looked out the window, his face filled with an emotion Justin could identify easily. Brian was worried.

 

“I know for a fact Lindsay and Melanie have told him all about you. Plus they keep a photo Lindsay took of you which they keep in a frame above their fireplace. You know the one of you holding him on your chest when he was a baby, while you were sleeping? Lindsay told me it was even Mel’s idea to have it blown up, and put there. And I know everyone else will have told him how great you were, I mean, are. You can build a great relationship with him when you get back. He will love you, I promise,” Justin told Brian who smiled at him.

 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I can build a great relationship with him, can’t I? I’m just a bit worried about how all this will play out. Coming home and getting back into the swing of things. It’s not going to be easy, plus I will have to reclaim my status as the stud of Liberty Avenue,” he teased but Justin knew he said it as a joke.

 

Once the car pulled into Debbie’s area, Brian began to feel so much happier than he had been, and when the car pulled up outside Debbie’s both Brian and Justin looked at each other knowing that the rest of their life would begin today. And whatever happened, they would be together.

 

After getting out of the car, Debbie’s front door opened and Debbie, Vic, Michael, Ted, Emmett, Jennifer, Molly and Mel and Linds, along with Gus, came out to greet them.

 

Debbie walked up to Brian and said, “I know you never were the hugging type, but I don’t really give a fuck,” she told him as she threw her arms around him and pulled Brian in tight to her.

 

Tears fell down Brian’s face as he hugged her back. “I’m glad you don’t give a fuck,” he told her.

 

After releasing him from her bone-crushing hug, Debbie looked into Brian’s eyes and said, “Welcome home, kid. I promise I will try my hardest not to faint again. I passed out when I heard you were alive but I, yeah well, welcome back, honey,” she told him.

 

Debbie also hugged Justin, and told him it was good to see him as well.

 

Brian walked away from Debbie, and over to the others. Tears were still running down his face when he looked at his son. Lindsay smiled at Brian and leaned down and said something to Gus, which Brian couldn’t hear.

 

Gus walked over to Brian. Looking up at him he said, “Hi dad, welcome home.”

 

Brian knelt down and took Gus into his arms. “You’ve gotten so big, Sonny boy. I missed you so much,” Brian told his son. He tried hard not to sob while holding Gus, but he couldn’t help it. For so long he had waited to see Gus, and now it was finally happening.

 

Brian lifted Gus up into his arms as he stood up. “You’re not as light as I remember, you must be growing,” Brian told him.

 

Gus laughed. “I’m six now. I’m a big boy,” he told his father.

 

“Yes, you are a big boy,” replied Brian, before he kissed his son’s head and put him back on the ground.

 

Justin stood beside Brian, and tears welled up in his eyes as he watched the scene unfold with Brian and Gus.

 

Brian looked over at his friends, and taking his son’s hand he walked over to them. Michael was the first to hug him, and then Vic, followed by the others. Everyone was more than happy to have Brian return to them.

 

A little while later, after all the welcome home greets were done, there was a knock at the front door, and Debbie asked Brian to go and get it.

 

When Brian opened the door he was surprised in a happy way to see who was at the other side.

 

“Mom,” Brian rasped.

 

Joan stood very still, just staring at her son.

 

“Oh Brian,” she cried as she took her son into her arms. “When Debbie called me to say you were alive I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It’s really true,” she said, crying while still holding him.

 

Brian slowly wrapped his arms around his mother, and held her back. During his time away he had thought a lot about his mother, and how he wished she could have accepted him. His father never did, but Brian never thought about that. All memories of Jack that Brian had, were buried along with the man the day they put him in the ground.

 

Brian began to cry, and found himself saying something he never in a million years thought he would, especially where his mom was concerned. “I missed you, mom. I never want us to go back to the way we were. Please, mom, please don’t let that happen again,” Brian pleaded.

 

Joan stepped back from Brian, and looked at him. “I want us to start fresh too, Brian. I’m not giving up on you ever again. I only hope you can forgive my ignorance in the first place.”

 

Brian hugged his mother again and told her, “I already did.”

 

After a few moments of togetherness with his mom, Brian escorted her into the sitting room where he introduced her to everyone. Debbie hugged her gently (mindful that Joan was probably a little tender at her age for the bone-crushing hugs she dished out to others) and went and made her some coffee.

 

When it came to introducing Joan to Justin, Brian tried hard to tread carefully. “Um, mom, this is Justin, He’s my ...ah.... He’s my lover actually.”

 

Brian and Justin (and probably everyone else in the room) were surprised at what came next. “It’s nice to meet you, Justin,” Joan told him, as she shook his hand. “Are you the son of Craig Taylor that owns Taylor electronics in town here?” she asked.

 

“Supposedly. He disowned me when he found out I was gay,” replied Justin. “So he denies being my dad now.”

 

Joan looked at Brian, “I’m sorry,” she said. “I hope one day he realises that his son shouldn’t be defined by being gay, but by his heart. That’s how I should have seen my son all along, and now that I have a second chance I intend to love him the way I should have from the beginning.”

 

Brian and Justin smiled at Joan’s words.

 

“I’m changing a lot of things in my life now, and my relationship with you is most definitely included,” Brian told his mom.

 

Some time later everyone started going home, and Mel and Linds went to hug and kiss Brian.

 

“I’m so glad you’re back, Brian,” Melanie told him. “Whatever changes you make in your life, don’t change being an asshole,” she continued.

 

“Only if you promise to keep being a bitch,” Brian told Melanie, as he hugged her back.

 

“Scout’s honour,” Mel whispered.

 

When Lindsay hugged Brian, she told him, “I still can’t take any of it in. You’re really back, Brian. I am so happy right now. I missed you so much,” she said, as tears came to her eyes again.

 

“No more tears, Lindsay. I think I cried enough for everyone today,” Brian told her. “Now go home with your wife and my kid, and Justin and I will stop by tomorrow afternoon.”

 

When Joan was leaving, Brian walked her to her cab. “I just want you to know that I don’t hold any grudge against you for the past. What’s done is done and it’s over. We are moving on from that. I don’t want you to cry or have any regrets about it. I love you, mom,” Brian said, as he kissed her cheek.

 

Joan felt truly blessed at being given a second chance with her son, and she promised herself she wasn’t going to mess it up.

 

Two Years Later

 

Brian sat back on his black chair in his office at his new place of work, Kinnetik. He and Justin stayed with Debbie until they both got jobs. Brian worked for an advertising agency called Dunbar’s, and Justin applied to go back to PIFA, where he was accepted straight away.

 

After a year at Dunbar’s, Brian decided to open a small advertising agency of his own, which Justin named for him.

 

It looked like a dump from the outside, but inside the decorators really outdid themselves, pleasing Brian a lot.

 

Brian put getting his own agency down to luck. He had worked hard at Dunbar’s and decided to open his own agency, taking with him a few of his ex-boss’s former accounts, which said boss was not happy about.

 

Justin refused to work for Brian, claiming that nothing would get done with all the sex breaks he was sure Brian would want with him. Brian eventually agreed that was probably true, so Justin decided to do his art at their home which was a small house just outside of Pittsburgh.

 

Brian decided to phone Justin. “Hey, sunshine, drawing my cock again?” he asked teasingly, knowing exactly what Justin was working on.

 

“If you must know, I was painting a photo of Gus for Lindsay. Not everything is about your cock, Brian,” replied Justin, knowing full well he had just opened a can of worms.

 

“I wonder if I decided to not let you near my cock for say…a week, would you feel the same way?” Brian asked his lover, knowing full well his mind would be changed the second he walked through their front door at home, when Justin pounced on him like he usually did.

 

“You’d only be punishing yourself if you did that, Brian. Was there a reason you called at this time of day, or was it merely to hear my sexy voice?” Justin asked, as he wiped any lingering paint from his hands onto his apron.

 

“I guess I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you. Do you miss me?” Brian asked.

 

Justin had a feeling there was something more to the phone call, and his suspicions were confirmed when Brian said, “Actually, I wanted you to look in the drawer beside my bed for me too, please. I have to go away and I wanted to double-check the date on the plane tickets. Will you look for me?” Brian asked, smiling to himself.

 

“Sure,” replied Justin.

 

Justin walked up the small staircase, and into their bedroom. When he got to Brian’s side of the bed he opened the bedside drawer and lifted out a small brown envelope. After opening the envelope he pulled out a note which read, ‘Will You Come To Toulouse With Me’?

 

Justin smiled. “I thought you said you had airline tickets you wanted confirmed, Brian?”

 

Brian replied, “I wasn’t going to get them unless you agreed to go first. What do you think? When I was there I never got to explore much, and I really wanted to. Will you go with me?”

 

“Of course I will, Brian. I would love to. And this time, we can really have a great time, and not have to worry about anything.”

 

Brian smiled. He knew that going back to Toulouse for a holiday with Justin, would do them both the world of good, and he promised to make every day there unforgettable for them both.

 

The End

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Ok, this is my first walk down this road. I wanted to write a mystery fic. I think what I have come up with so far is good. We are starting of with Brian’s cremation (please just trust me on this, ok?) so you will be upset at that. But just remember the whole ‘Someone that fits the description of Brian pays the price in full of £2000 for his ‘Love Lost’ piece’ and that should help you through it. This is just a taster really, I’m working hard on the rest and will have the whole lot posted very soon. ( The guy who is playing Ryan,is Nicky Byrne from the Irish boy band - Westlife)
> 
> AN: Thank you to Kiera kiera81487 for the tiltle 'Still Painting You'
> 
> Here is what Brian's sitting room looks like (where the window's are located it's paintings instead of windows)
> 
> http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy50/galefan101/Brianslivingroom_zpsf4e9a963.jpg
> 
> And this is his bedroom...
> 
> http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy50/galefan101/Briansbed_zps12ddba0a.jpg
> 
> Enjoy, and please let me know what you think of each chapter, thanks *Loves you* ~ Yvonne xx


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